INSIDE CITY HALL Here are a few...

INSIDE CITY HALL

Here are a few of the items the council considered Tuesday.

CHANGE IN PERMIT PROCEDURES

The council approved a law replacing the modifications committee

with a zoning administrator. The committee was made up of staff

members from the Planning, Building and Public Works departments and

had authority over small zoning-code issues.

The zoning administrator will be a Planning Department staff

member appointed by the planning director. The change will improve

communication between the city departments and enhance

decision-making, council members said. Other cities, like Costa Mesa,

use zoning administrators.

The council also approved increasing the evidence a resident will

have to present to get a modification permit.

WHAT IT MEANS

The committee will be disbanded, and one person will take over the

role. It will come back to the council for a second reading on Nov.

23.

TIME LIMITS ON PIERS

The council approved a law increasing the time limits for docking

at the city’s 10 public piers in the harbor. The law will go into

effect on Dec. 9. There are now 20-minute time limits on all four

sides of the piers. The law will increase these limits to two hours

on two sides of the pier, 12 hours on the side closest to land and

keep the bay side at 20 minutes. The first reading of this law was on

Oct. 26.

WHAT IT MEANS

Boaters will now have the time to dock at the public piers while

they go have dinner or shop in Newport.

MARINERS BRANCH LIBRARY PROPOSAL

The council rejected the sole bid received from a contractor to

build the Donna & John Crean Mariners Branch Library.

The one bid received was more than 29% higher than the city

engineer’s estimate of $4.8 million. A second bid was rejected

because it was submitted after the deadline.

Because of the lack of competition and funds, the Mariners Library

Ad Hoc Committee unanimously recommended the council reject the bid

and restart the bidding process. Staff members agreed.

WHAT IT MEANS

The project will go out to bid again.

WIRELESS FACILITIES

The council approved permits for two wireless companies --

Cingular and Sprint -- to install antennas on four streetlight poles

along Superior Avenue. The antennas will be mounted on 32-foot

streetlight poles. The companies originally wanted to mount their

antennas on poles that could have been up to 35 feet high. Nearby

residents argued that their views would be blocked.

WHAT IT MEANS

The companies will now prepare plans for their wireless equipment

and submit them to get the building permits.

WHAT WAS SAID

“Last time I was here, I opposed [the permits],” said resident

Frank Jenes, president of Villa Balboa Community Assn.”I support

[them] fully now.”